Michael cyril byrne



Aug. 2s, 1928.

M. C: BYRNE EGG TURNING TRAY- Filed Feb. 15, 1926 Patented Aug. 28,1928.

UNITED STATES MICHAEL CYRIL BYRNE, OF REVESBY,

VIA BANKSTOWN, NEW SOUTH W'ALJES,

AUSTRALIA,

EGG-TURNING TRAY.

Application filed February This invention relates to incubators and moreparticularly to the trays in which the eggs are held during the periodof incubation, its object being to provide the trays with a meanswhereby the eggs may be turned or rolled mechanically whenever'necessary.

Various inventions have been previously devised y.with this object inview and one or more of these inventions are at present in use, butalthough they are more or less eflieient they are expensive to installand in some cases they need a considerable space to enable them to movefreely, and consequently the capacity of each tray is reduced.

In a tray constructed according to my invention the full capacit-y isslightly reduced as compared with an ordinary tray of equal dimensions,but there are no complicated parts to get out of order or become jammed,and each egg may 'be automatically partly turned or completely rolled.over and over again by the act of removing the tray from and replacingit Within its compartment in the incubator.

It consists of a rectangular frame of wood, the side members of whichextend slightly below the front and back members, the bottom or ioor ofthe tray being formed by a parallel series of spaced rollers providedwith trunnions whereby they may be loosely secured in bearings formed ina metal strip, of suitable dimensions, secured longitudinally to theinner face of each side member of the frame. These rollers rest upon twoor more runners secured at the sides of the incubator chamber; thebearings are elongated to enable the rollers to automatically adjustthemselves so as to ensure that each one will be in frictional contactwith the runners.

The side members may each be longitudinally rabbeted in a line with theperforat-ions that form the bearings for the trund nions in order toform a recess in which the projecting ends of the trunnions may lie andmove freely as the rollers adjust themselves upon the runners.

If desired the runners may be placed upon a separate table upon whichthe trays may be moved for the purpose of imparting the necessary rotarymovement to the rollers in which case the rollers will not move as thetray is being removed from or replaced within its compartment in theincubator.

15, 1926. Serial No. 88,475.

In the accompanying drawings F ig. 1 is a perspective view of a trayconstructed according tol my invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1v.

Fig. Bis: an enlarged sectional view taken on line 3;-3 of Fig. 2showing one end of a roller, the bearing plate, a side member of thetray, and the ordinary and additional runners in their respectivepositions relative to one another.

The tray consists of two side. members 10, a front member 11 and a rearmember 11L secured together in any suitable manner to form a rectangularframe which is preferably reinforced by angle pieces 12, thebottom orfloor being formed by any suitable number of wooden rollers 13 arrangedin parallel formation and at suitable distances apart. Each end of eachroller is provided with a truniiioii 14., which may be integral with athin metal cap 14a into which the end of the roller is forced. The sidemembers 10 project slightly below the fi'ont and rear members 11--11L sothat when the tray is placed upon a plane surface the rollers will notbe in frictional contact therewith. Each side member is provided with athin metal bearing strip 15 that is secured longitudinally toY its innerface by screws 16, each bearing strip being provided with angular eX-tensions 17 that may be secured respectively, to the front and rearmembers 11 and 11a by screws 18. Bearings for the trunnions 14 areformed by a number of suitably spaced elongated holes 19 stamped orotherwise formed in the metal bearing strips 15, the elongation beingvertically disposed so that each roller will have a limited amount ofplay vertically in order that they may adjust themselves upon therunners 20. Immediately behind the line of spaced perforations 19 eachside member 10 is rabbeted at 21 to form a space in which the `ends ofthe trunnions may lie and move freely up and down without coming intofrictioiial contact with the side member.

The side members 10 slide upon the ordinary runners 22 within theincubator chamber, and the rollers 13 will be so positioned in theirbearings that they will rest upon a pair of additional runnersl 20rigidly secured to and inside the ordinary runners 22, but they extendabove the latter in order that the ends of the rollers may rest thereonf rotate and the eggs when the tray is placed Within the chamber. Therollers 18 Will be so arranged that the lowest point thereof will beabove the lower edge of the side members when the trunnions lie at thebottom of the bearings 19, so that when the tray is removed from thechamber and placed upon a plane surface, such a table, the side membersl0 will rest upon the plane surface, but the rollers Will not be initfrictional contact therewith.

The length of the runners may be varied according to the movement it isdesired to impart to the eggs that lie upon the rollers. They may beshortfand placed near the front ot' the chamber, in Which case the eggswould only be moved through an aro or they could extend to the fulllength of the side members l0, when the removal or replacement of thetray would cause the rollers to to be rolled over and over again.

rlhe runners 2O need not be situated Within the chamber; they could beplaced upon a table and the tray placed upon them so that the rollerslie at right angles thereon. By moving the tray back and forth upon therunners the eggs Will be caused to roll first in one direction and thenin the other.

lli/*hen the tray is to be used the eggs are packed in rows so that eachrow rests between and is partly supported by each of two additionalrollers. Vhen the tray is moved along the runners the eggs will beturned or rolled irrespective of their position, i. e., even il the eggslie 'so that their major axes lie parallel With the plane of rotationthey will still be turned or rolled according to the amount of rotarymovement imparted to the rollers.

I claim- An egg turning tray of the character described including, arectangular frame composed of side and end members, the end membersterminating short of the lower edge or the side members and thc sidemembers being provided With opposed longitudinal grooves, bearing platessecured to the side members over the grooves provided With a series ofopposed openings, extensions integral With and projecting angularly fromthe ends of the bearing plates 4and anchored to the adjacent surface ofthe end members, a series of parallel rollers constituting the bottom ofthe tray and having trunnionfengaged in the opposed openings in thebearing plates, the lower surfaces of the rollers being positioned in aplane above the lower edge of the side members and beneath the plane ofthe lower edge of the end members so that the under surfaces thereof maybe readily engaged and rotated When it is desired to turn the eggs whichare adapted to rest on the rollers.

In Witness whereof I have signed this specification.

MICHAEL CYRIL BYRNE.

